The howling wind tonight reminds me of Tess Durbeyfield when she wanders across the moors dressed in rags. I read Tess of the D’Urbervilles around the same time that Nastassja Kinski appeared in Tess, a 1979 film adaptation of the novel, but I haven’t yet seen the 2009 Masterpiece Theater version. Good times await!
Thinking of Tess brings to mind the nineteenth century and persona poems, both of which I love, and although The Suitable Girl (Pindrop Press, 2011) contains much more than period piece poems, there are some delightful ones to savor among the rich variety of poesy in Michelle McGrane’s latest collection.
The photo of the wine and my gorgeous copy of The Suitable Girl was taken at Kavarna, a coffee bar in Decatur, GA, near midtown Atlanta. The book is the first project from Jo Hemmant’s Pindrop Press. What a lovely debut collection! The Suitable Girl, in addition to Michelle McGrane’s wonderful imagination and gift for words, reflects Jo’s attention to detail and her excellent taste in poetry. Jo, a fine poet in her own right, has a keen eye for the printed word and a well-tuned ear for verse.
Balanced On the Edge 
🙂 I’m finally going to get a chance to start reading, tomorrow!
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Christine, it’s amazing that The Suitable Girl has travelled all the way to Atlanta.
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Yes!!! My copy is winging its way to me, and I feel like a kid at Christmas. I can’t wait! Michelle is an excellent poet. I love your picture, Christine. The wine glass is a nice touch:)
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I know, Michelle! I gave a copy to my friend Kristin, also a poet. If you come to Atlanta around the beginning of Sept you could read at the Decatur Book Festival. It lasts three days and has may stages for reading, plus booths for selling books.
Thanks, Julie. I love reading poetry while sipping a glass of wine. And it doesn’t need to be fancy. A nice red table wine will do. 🙂 I wish we could all gather and read our favorite poems to each other!
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